Cured
by LeMinaChan
Summary: I knew he wasn't real. I was ill; Sick in the head, like everyone always told me. Ever since I was a lonely 3-year old child, my best friend had been birthed from my mind. Yet here he was, standing in front of me and staring at me. He was right in front of my eyes, ironically the day after I had been declared cured of schizophrenia. I must be completely mad now.
1. Intro

I was finally free.

After years of humiliation, depression, anger, and isolation, the binds that had me tied to this web of sadness and hopelessness were finally broken. I knew this was my goal all along, but you never really realize how amazing something is until you get a taste of it the first time.

Six words changed my life, and filled me up with more happiness than I had experienced as a child. Those same six words, however, would ruin me and turn my life upside down less than a day later.

" _There's officially nothing wrong with you."_

* * *

I _knew_ he wasn't real. I was ill; Sick in the head, like everyone always told me. Ever since I was a lonely 3-year old child, my best friend had been birthed from my mind.

Yet here he was, standing in front of me and staring at me. He was right in front of my eyes, ironically the day after I had been declared treated; almost completely rid of any schizophrenia symptoms I held before.

I must be going completely mad now.


	2. Chapter 1

**[01] Thursday, 05.27.17. 10:23 a.m.: "The Beginning"**

I knew from a very young age that I wasn't "normal". I have a family, two loving parents, and an older sister who cheered me on and loved me every step of my life. If anything, they were the most normal things I had. I have a somewhat normal job, working the register and taking orders at a small family run coffee shop called Phichit's Circus Shop. For sure, the pay doesn't amount to much when you're living on your own in a small apartment in the middle of Boston, but the owner is like a second family, and it keeps most of the bills paid and food on the table.

I have hobbies that I am sure aren't out of the ordinary, I used to ice skate in my free time and run a mile or so with my lovely poodle when he was still around, but that healthy routine ended once he unfortunately died about a year ago. I recently took up crocheting thanks to a few Pinterest posts, and now I have little chibi yarn Pokemon and animals littering my desks. With these portions of my life, nothing seems that strange. However, where is only one thing wrong with my life. Wrong with _me_. Wrong with my brain.

My name is Yuuri Katsuki, and I've been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Living with the type of schizophrenia I have isn't as bad as most cases get, for the most part I am capable of doing anything anyone else could do, besides the occasional insomnia and random twitches here and there. I could be classified as normal. As I child I used to make friends with ease. Except, I lost them all within the first day, all because of one, small thing- well, maybe not that small. My best friend is a figment of my imagination.

"Yuuri!" I could hear someone call to me from the kitchen, out to where I pace in the living room with my cell phone pressed to my ear. "Who are you calling? You've been anxious all day."

I sigh as I hear footsteps coming my way, and turn towards the doorway to the kitchen. My best friend stands there with his arms crossed, the fingers holding his forearms wrapped in bandages from trying to cut potatoes again. His long silver fringe flutters into his face and masks one of his blue eyes, so he momentarily reaches up to tuck the strands behind his ear.

This divine, too-beautiful-to-be-human creature is Vitya, my best friend of 20 years; the figment of imagination I had mentioned before. We first met a really long time ago when I was three, alone in the park after I was scolded by my parents, and I had run away from home. He appeared on the swing set next to mine, and we've been friends ever since. However, I am the only person that can see him. I found out the harsh way when I tried to introduce him to my parents later on the night when I met him. I never really minded after that, the only person that ever mattered to me was Vitya. I had made Vitya up those twenty years ago in my desire to have a long-lasting friend, and he has stuck with me ever since.

Until now.

"The doctor, Vitya." I respond, turning a bit away from him and placing a hand on my hip, huffing in irritation as I was put on hold for the third time. "I need to go in for my last treatment. After this, I will be cured."

I notice Vitya frown slightly, and take a few steps in my direction towards me. He grabs both of my shoulders with a light grip, as if he were handling a baby chick, and forces me to look up directly into the brilliant blue of his eyes.

"You are that desperate to get rid of me, Yuuri? Come now, think about it! If you don't get any more treatment, we could run away together and be happy once again! Just you and I, like we used to when we were kids! What do you say?"

I sigh once more, and shrug my shoulders, one of his hands flopping down to his side. "No. I need to do this. I… I am not healthy the way I am." Instead of shoving his other arm off, I reach up and cup his face with my free hand that wasn't holding the phone to my ear. I feel a painful pang in my chest as my hand doesn't register any feeling of his cheek as I rub my thumb in circles on his cheekbone; something my mother used to do to calm me down when I was upset. "I'm sorry, Vitya, but I know you're not real. As much as I would love to abandon the real world and enjoy the rest of my life alone with you, I'm not okay. You know, in the head. Vitya, you will forever live on inside me, but this has to be done."

"Yuuri, please don't d-"

" _Doctor Harris's office! This is Danya, how may I help you?"_

I ignore the rest of what Vitya is saying, and focus on the cheerful voice in my ear. I drop the hand I had cupped to Vitya's cheek, and eventually Vitya's other hand slowly slides off my shoulder.

"Yes! Um, m-my name is Yuuri Katsuki, I am…" _What did I call for again?_ _Oh, right…_ "Yes! I'm, uh, calling to confirm an appointment set for 3 in the afternoon today with Doctor Harris."

" _Oh, Mr. Katsuki. Yes, we do have you down for 3 p.m. today. Will that be all, or do you have any questions, concerns, etc.?"_

I shake my head, despite knowing that the lady could not see me. "No, that will be all. I'm sorry for the burden, you're probably busy."

" _No worries, Yuuri. I can't wait to see you after your last treatment. Good-bye, now!"_

"T-Thank you. Good-bye, Danya." I finally hang up, and shove my cell phone into my right pocket of my jacket, noticing Vitya's sudden disappearance from in front of me. Most likely off pouting somewhere like he had done since I announced my first appointment with Dr. Harris a couple months back. "Vitya, I'm sorry, I'll be back in a couple hours… I'll miss you."

And with that, I opened and shut the door to the apartment behind me as I walk out. That was the last time I saw Vitya.

* * *

At four in the afternoon, I take a step outside the medical building and heave out a heavy weighted sigh of relief.

I did it. I finally got rid of it.

The doctor's words have been ringing in my ears over and over since I left his office. " _Congratulations, then. There is officially nothing wrong with you anymore."_ I was finally free. After years of humiliation, depression, anger, and isolation, the binds that had me tied to this web of sadness and hopelessness were finally broken.

My muscles all feel tingly and giddy, there are butterflies in my stomach, and I can't help the smile that had slowly started to crawl onto my face since the doctor's office door closed behind me as I left.

"Yes!" I finally let out my glee, dashing towards the crosswalk, eager to get home and see if it worked. If it actually worked, then Vitya-

I slow my pace a bit at the other side of the road, and look down in the ground. My eyes widen in realization. Vitya...I didn't get to say goodbye to Vitya properly before I left, instead I was so cruel to him as I declared my getting treatment. I didn't wish him farewell, or even so much as to give him a good-bye hug. Before I terminated him from ever existing.

I shake my head to myself at the thought. _Get a hold of yourself, Vitya isn't real. He never was. Don't get so emotional over a figment of your imagination. Now you can make new, actual friends._

Despite the confirmation from my inner conscious, my hands that I had shoved in my jacket pockets were quaking; for I had just killed my best friend.

Realizing this fact now, I tear through the soft dancing wind ahead of me, desperate to get back to my small apartment. Hoping it wasn't too late. People curse and shout at me as I thrust myself through large crowds of people, and some try to shove me back. I don't care, I dive right back between bodies of people coming from and going to work. I have to get home.

I have to see if Vitya is still there.

As I reach my apartment building on the outskirts of the city, I climb the black metal stairs three at a time, sometimes trying to leap 4 or 5, once over a whole flight of 7 stairs. Unfortunately, I lived on the ninth floor, and by the time I reached my front door(rather, by the time I buckled over in front of my door), I barely had enough energy to kick down the door like I had planned in my head just seconds ago.

I reach in my pocket in search of my house keys, and as I found them, it turned out to be incredibly difficult to fit the key into the lock with how badly my hands were shaking by now. It took multiple times, and with every second I wasted on trying to get this damn door unlocked, my hands shook even more from the thought of Vitya dissipating into nothingness.

This was it, the moment of truth.

The lock finally clicks, and I shove open the door, nearly stumbling over a pair of shoes of mine in the front entrance.

"Vitya!" I shout out in desperation, headed towards the kitchen through the living room doorway. Everyday when I come home, Vitya would be in the kitchen either making weird food only a Russian could stomach, or doing some stupid craft he found on Pinterest. So when I find the kitchen counter empty, clear of any sign of someone being there in a long time, my heart thumps against my chest, seemingly wanting to lurch out of my chest.

Continuing to call out his nickname, I trip over my feet in a desperate attempt to get to his bedroom. I quickly slam the burgundy-colored door open and flick the lights on, and my heart drops down into my feet.

"No… no no no no no no." I whisper to myself, sounding almost like a hiss, not daring to take a single step into the room. The sheets on the bed are pure white and folded neatly, the walls clear of any of his posters that were there, pillows fluffed and set perfectly against the top of the bed frame. Vitya's desk, his closet, his boxes of crap- everything was white and barren. Gone. As if no one had even lived there at all.

My frozen, paralyzed legs melt into pudding, and I quickly I fall down to my knees as I lose the ability to hold myself up. Then my knees give out just as quickly, and I fall limp onto my right arm onto the carpeted floor. I feel the burning, acidic feeling of my heart trying to tear itself out, and I reach up and grab the skin over my chest, as if I was trying to pull it away to let my heart leap out and free me from this barrel of emotions.

The carpet I lay on soon soaks beneath my cheek, as scorching tears run over the bridge of my nose and disappear into the brown floor. I shut my eyes and try count to twenty in my head, but it wasn't helping.

" _Vitya… I'm sorry. I love you. Come back to me, please."_ I whisper into the empty room, as if Vitya could hear me if he were in there, before I fall asleep curled up in a ball on the carpet.

* * *

 **Friday, 05.28.17. 11:34 p.m.**

"U-um, could you… possible repeat your order again, M'am? I-I didn't get the last part, M-ma'am."

The elderly woman on the other side of the counter lets out a groan that sounds more like a shrill screech, and crosses her fat arms over her chest. Her fat face caked with makeup scrunches with anger, and her lipstick smears on her teeth as she sneers at me. "To believe that it's only a bunch of youngsters running this shop, I can't get my order without repeating it several times!" She lets out another disappointed shrill shriek, and turns her face away from me towards the window. "I _said_ I wanted a Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato with soy milk and _three_ four-millimeter sugar cubes. Is it really that hard?"

"Nonfat...Caramel…" I murmur to myself and I furiously write the rest of her order on the small black cover-bound notepad.

"Macchiato with soy milk and three four-millimeter sugar cubes! Dear Lord, it's like trying to talk to my husband! Never listens!"

"I-I'm sorry, M'am. I'll get it out to you as soon as possible, M'am."

She 'hmmps' as I finally snap my notebook shut and scurry away as fast as I possibly could away from the counter and into the kitchen. Her ugly, cakey-makeup covered face pops into my head as I reach up for the green mugs on the second counter, and I shudder out of fear. I always found women to be terrifying. I continue to have to keep glancing down at my notepad I set on the counter where I could see it, to assure that I didn't mess it up. Although the image of her fat cakey-face drenched in her hot, outrageous, obnoxiously specific order sure did entertain as I squeezed a checkered-pattern of caramel on top of the thick creamy foam.

"Hey!"

I jolt out of my thoughts at a sudden clap right beside my right ear, and whirl around to glare at the culprit the caused me to drop the coffee cup in my hand, now smashed into pieces down at my feet. I wince as I feel the steaming hot Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato begin to soak into my shoes.

The person behind me playfully glares, and leans against the counter, crossing his arms towards me. I roll my eyes at him, and squat down to pick up the shattered glass pieces before the manager found out.

"Don't you expect me to believe you're fine." I hear from behind me. I sigh, and slowly turn my gaze up towards my best friend. He has straight midnight black that he has tucked underneath a barista cap, and the oddest colored steely-gray eyes. His name is Phichit, and he has been working at this coffee shop since way before I started a few months back. Phichit was the son of the original owners, but his father passed away and his mother abandoned it after they went into debt so many years ago. Phichit dropped out of college and borrowed money from friends and relatives in order to keep the coffee shop alive, and ever since it's been successful, and proud to be part of so many people's daily routines. Ever since I was hired, he acts like the younger brother I never had back at home- both of all of the positive and negative aspects that come with having an older sibling.

"I _am_ fine, Phichit. Now you can go remake that lady's order, since you messed mine up." I fire back, feeling a bit snippy from him poking into my business. He has been nosing himself into my situation ever since I asked for later hours to fit my treatment appointments in every week.

I yelp at a sharp tug on my ear, and once it's finally released, the two of us glare at each other like only rivaling siblings could.

"Don't just keep telling me that you're fine!" Phichit places his hands on her hips, towering over me with authority. He huffs, and squats down next to me, picking up a few of the larger pieces of glass. "Yuuri, I know you're having a hard time. Vitya was your friend for twenty long years. Suddenly having him gone like that is hard."

I turn away from him, and swat away the hand he tries to place on my shoulder in comfort. "You wouldn't understand. Vitya wasn't real… but he was real to me, and I killed him… You don't know what it feels like to murder your best friend, Phichit."

I can almost feel the look of sympathy on my skin that Phichit throws in my direction, and before he can try to touch me again, I hear the ding of the bell, signaling a new customer waiting to have their order taken at the counter.

"I got this. You focus on cleaning up the glass, before the boss finds out." I murmur to Phichit, standing up and dumping the glass pieces I had in my hands. I grab my white cap from near the kitchen entrance, and push the swinging door open before he could pry anymore. I huff, and turn the corner, retying my apron around my waist as I make my way over to the front counter register.

"Welcome to Phichit's Circus Shop! The divine food will make you do backflips and whirl around in glee!" I recite the greeting that had been annoyingly drilled into my brain since even before I started working here, pulling my cap to fit snugly on my matted mob of hair. "Would you like to try today's special, Joker's Cinnamon and Sugar Frappe?"

"No thank you. I'd just like a regular coffee, with french vanilla creamer. Lightly salted, please. I wouldn't mind a little bit of you as well, though."

I freeze in the midst of entering the man's order into the register, my hands clamp up and form fists. _I know that voice. I_ know _that voice. It can't be…_ Quicker than what was probably normal, I lift my gaze up the the suited man standing before me, and once I reach his face, my eyes widen. He was holding his pale chin in his hand, pinching it between if thumb and fore finger. Continuing up his face, I stop at his eyes. His bright blue eyes were squinted down at me as I hunch over the register, questioning what was going on. His silver fringe is combed back to lay over his head

Vitya.

Instead of having the awkwardness of me staring at the poor man without saying anything, oddly enough, the suited guy beams at me, and takes a step closer towards the counter. He leans a bit over the counter towards me, and I sink further into myself towards the cold stone floor out of fear.

' _What's going on? What is Vitya doing here? Am I ill again? Am I imagining him out of my own depression? Why am I seeing him_ here _, and_ why now _?'_

As if he had heard the nagging voice asking me questions in my head, the man smiles, and tilts his head to my left a bit in mild fondness. By the time he utter his next words, I was about ready to sprint past him and book it back to the doctor's office to find out what the hell kind of drug he gave me.

"I've been searching across the entire Earth for you. Well, I've waited for many years to finally meet you, Yuuri."

* * *

 **Why hello, my beautiful filthy human toilets! I KNOW, IT'S ANOTHER VICTUURI THANG. Honestly, I don't know what to do with my oneshot collection now. I was actually going to make this a oneshot, but there were so many details I wanted to include, that I had to make it its own story. Well, one and all, I present to you, "Cured". I really hope this is one of my stories that actually take off and I will be able to finish for once.**

 ***prays to the Yaoi gods***

 **Until next time, my filthy human toilets~!**

 **~Mina-chan**


	3. Chapter 2

**[02] Friday 05.28.17. 11:45 p.m. : "You're Here"**

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit._ " I murmur to myself as I pace back and forth in the kitchen, cursing at every step I take.

"Yuuri, you need to calm down and talk to him!" Phichit stands at the side lines of my pacing path, a pencil tucked over his ear as he unties his apron and places it on the metal cart next to him. "He said he came here for you! And he looks just like Vitya! This is some freaky shit, but this moment _has_ to have been destined to be! Not to mention, you were right, he is pretty hot."

I pause for a moment, and send an icy glare over in his direction. "Not helping, Phichit."

He lets out a dramatic sigh, and roughly grabs my shoulders to stop me from continuing to pace towards the ovens. "You still need to calm down."

"It's not going to help!" Breaking from his hold, I clutch a chunk of hair in my hand and pull on it, trying to focus my attention on the physical pain in my head rather than the emotional pain I could feel throughout my body. "Phichit, I killed him yesterday. I was cured. Vitya… Vitya is gone. What the _hell_ is he doing here, and why can you see him too?"

Instead of answering, Phichit giggles like a little school girl, and hops on over to me, grabbing my hand and pulling it away from my head.

"He may look like him, but he isn't Vitya, Yuuri. That's Victor Nikiforov, most successful and handsomest skater in the skating community. I've been buying every magazine he's been featured in for years. I can lend you a DVD of his latest performance, Stay Close to Me if you want to see him in action." Phichit whispers furiously into my ear as if he were telling me the dirtiest secret with other people around us, which frankly wasn't possible since we were the only ones here, we were about to close in about an hour or so. "But shit, if I knew Vitya looked like that, I might not have called you crazy when you applied here."

"Again, you're not helping! At all!" I screech at him, and take a brief second to peek through the small curtain to where 'Victor' waits in a booth in the corner of the small shop, admiring the framed photos lining the walls. Quickly, as if he magically felt my eyes suddenly on him, his aqua colored eyes dart in my direction, and I feel the pulse in my chest excel and run laps over the moon, to the point where I can't handle it for more than a few seconds and drop the navy blue curtain back into its place. "Phichit, I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do! He-he's practically a celebrity, and I'm...I'm just…"

"You?" Phichit offers, taking my place in the corner of the kitchen as he peeks out the blue curtain towards the bachelor occupying the space.

"Yeah… I'm just me." I agree dejectedly, letting gravity forcefully pull me down to the floor, and I hold my head to my knees with both of my arms. I can't help but repeat the words again to finalize them. "I'm just me."

"Cheer up, you uneducated melodramatic peanut." A hand siffs itself between the strands of my hair, Phichit stroking it like I were a pet. "Everyone can only be themselves, which is why you should be _yourself_ and go talk to him!"

I sigh, and swat his hand away from my hair, and smooth out the betrayal curls that decide to stick up.

"It's not that easy, Phichit." I murmur, pressing my forehead further into my knees. "Why is it that he shows up here? And now? And he just has to look exactly like Vitya…"

Phichit sighs like I just had, and his fingers wound themselves right back into my hair, but I don't bother to push him away this time. Being honest, it was soothing, but not enough to make me forget the nuisance waiting for my presence just on the other side of the wall I was leaning on. The very thought created rough goosebumps on my skin, and my knees quake in anxiousness.

"Yuuri." Light hands place themselves on my shoulders, and force my head up to look into Phichit's steely gray eyes. "You don't need to be anyone fancy. He's a person too! You can talk to me easily, right? He's not much different!"

"It _is_ different." I protest, slapping at his arms in a weak attempt to get him to release me, which frankly, does absolutely nothing against him. "I've known you for a long time! He just up and showed up here looking for me!"

"It's not different." He repeats, then smiles down on me. "You've known Vitya for longer."

"But he- _Viktor_ isn't-"

"Alright, it's settled." Phichit rises from his squatted position, and brushes off the back of his black uniform slacks as if there was some sort of dust there. "I'll prepare his drink, and you have to take it out to him."

"But-"

I'm cut off my the loud slam of the kitchen door, Phichit going in the back to get materials from the giant storage room. I sigh and lift myself from the floor, and slap my work cap on top of my head, keeping my eyes trained on the ground.

I was hoping he would let me go home. Oh, who am I kidding, this is Phichit. He is a person that has no idea what the terms 'privacy' and 'personal' mean, and attempts to help you with everything that may be going on in your life that is troubling you. As much as I love him for that interactive personality, he just doesn't understand what this means to me. No one does, or could even if they wanted to.

I can't help but let my gaze travel up towards the short navy blue curtains shielding the kitchen from the customers prying eyes. From his eyes. He is right behind those curtains, barely three feet away from me. So close, yet so far never had a more appropriate meaning than this moment. I almost find myself humorously chuckle to myself at the irony, but the urge to laugh scurries back down my throat like a wild beast when I watch his shadow pass over the dark curtain. I inhale and exhale once, to calm my nerves, which by the way does absolutely nothing.

"Vitya." I quietly address him to myself, whispering just barely over the silence. "I don't know why you're here, and I don't know if I should be happy about it or not. But, if you're really Vitya… If you've come back and forgiven me, then I'm really, really happy."

I cough into my fist, and shimmey my shoulders a bit to rid off my nervous jitters. If I was going to face Vit- no, Viktor. If I'm going to go out and face Viktor like I really should, I can't make myself look bad. He's a celebrity, and it would give both me, and Phichit and his shop a bad image if I screwed this up.

"U-Um, Phichit." I tenderly step towards the coffee machines, where Phichit is loading the ingredients into, and call out to him. "Throw in two powdered sugar blueberry muffins with his order. O-on me."

He leans his head back to meet my eyes, and a sly grin slowly crawls its way onto his thin lips as he lets his eyes roam my stance. "There you go, cowboy, I knew you'd come around." He takes a moment to turn back towards the coffee machine, and moves the cup around in a circular motion to finish off the frappe. He steps away and turns toward the toppings table when he motions his head in my direction. "Well, you know where they are, get them, you can see I'm busy. You're going to have to serve all this when I'm done, you hear?"

"Yes, I heard you the first time." I sarcastically complain, taking a few steps backward to get out of the maker space, which is what we call the small room where the coffee machines are, and spin on my heel to head towards the heating racks, where all of the finished baked goods are kept warm until we have to get rid of them at the end of the day. I grab two of the blueberry muffins on the bottom shelf, surprisingly our least popular muffin, and sprinkle powered sugar on top with a little shaker on the side, and store them both within their own little papers, then place both into a small paper take-out bag.

"Ready?"

I whirl around to find Phichit holding up a paper coffee cup, his arm extended for me to take Victor's drink from his hand. I nod in response to his question, and notice as I wrap my fingers around the warm cup that I notice 'Vitya' scrawled across the side of the cup in black Sharpie in neat cursive, along with three hearts of different sizes around it.

I gape at the shapes, and my mind floods with all the things Victor would think about this name tag. "P-Phichit!" Flies out of my mouth, and I half jokingly punch him in the shoulder, then point at the Sharpie marks. "Was this really necessary? _Hearts?_ He's gonna think that's creepy!"

He shrugs. "You love him, don't you? I don't see a problem here."

" _Phichit!"_ I repeat his name in exasperation. "Vitya and Victor are two different people! I can't just say I-"

"Go already!" Phichit cuts me off again, something I've noticed he seems to enjoy doing, and steps behind me, beginning to push the small of my back towards the kitchen entrance. "You're going to make him wait!"

"Wait! I-I don't know what to say!"

"Oh god, just say anything! He's _so_ into you! Just _go!"_ Phichit finishes with his attempted and brief pep talk, and pushes me out of the kitchen entrance, promptly slamming and locking the door after me. I look helplessly down onto the food in my hands, and let a heavy weighted sigh escape from my nose.

"Alright, Yuuri." I murmur to myself, deciding that Phichit's pep talk wasn't enough to calm my out of control nerves. "You can do this. Just pretend that he's not a rich, handsome, famous, talented, out of reach-"

I shake my head at myself. That wasn't the way to go about it. I shut my eyes, and take a sure, deep breath.

"This... this is just Vitya. Vitya is here."

With that, I don't give myself a chance to turn back as I push myself off the kitchen door and stride around the corner to the tail end of the coffee shop.

The layout of the dining area inside the cafe has always been rather small, only enough to seat on average about 30 people, one of the reasons that last year, Phichit insisted on and purchased with his own money picnic tables to set up outside. There are seven or eight round tables lining the floor-to-ceiling windows with a fantastic view of the colorful, busy city street right outside, as well as six booths around the corner of the 'L' shaped seating area, three on each side with a walkway in between.

The dark blue curtain I had been peeking through earlier in the kitchen sits above the second booth, and has a clear view of all the customers situated there. That is where Victor decided to settle, apparently, in the second booth on the opposite side of the covered window, which gave me and Phichit a perfect view of him from behind the curtain.

As I round the corner on my mission to face him, I notice his face turned down, staring down at the table. I feel guilt rise at the base of my stomach and crawl up my throat, disappointing him and making him wait for so long. I mentally wince as I think about what expression he would be making right now, torn with sadness, anger, and loss. He said he searched the Earth for me, and all he finds is a college student barely getting by. He must feel humiliated.

However, as I reach only a few steps away from him, I realize there is something that had been hidden by one of his arms. There was a kindle laying flat on the table in front of him, and Viktor seems to be really in depth into what he is reading. I instantly feel relief, he didn't seem upset. Although I know I'm nothing special to search the globe for, I never wish to be the cause of someone's sadness. It's the most wretched, guilty, heart-tearing feeling in the world.

I feel the nerves clammer up my throat as I take a couple smaller steps towards his booth, the pep talk that had previously given me confidence just seconds ago flying out the window. I come to a sudden halt only two or three steps away from his side, and I feel my legs shake uncontrollably beneath my weight, wanting to bend and give out on me. My throat closes up and strangles me from the inside, making it difficult for me to breathe properly. I know this feeling, I've known anxiety far too well over the years back when I aspired to be an athlete.

I can't do this anymore. But it's too late.

At the sound of the paper bag in my right hand falling to the tiled hardwood floor, the man in front of my jolts from the sudden intrusion of silence, and lifts his head to meet my eyes. I freeze, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, about to be run over. I want to run. I don't want to be here. I need to run.

However, no matter how loud I mentally scream and cry at my feet to get away, to leave the cafe as fast as I can, that I would be able to call Phichit and explain later, they don't move an inch. In fact, I feel my entire body freeze in it's place, once Viktor and I make eye contact. His eyes glimmer for a couple seconds with an emotion I'm not yet familiar with, not breaking it as he reaches up and turns the screen of his kindle off. He rises from his seat inside he booth, aqua colored eyes locking with mine as he becomes eye level with me, only a few inches taller in his fancy heeled business shoes. His lips slightly part, as he was about to say something, and suddenly I am afraid of what is about to come out of his mouth.

"Yuu."

Suddenly, I can move again. It was as if him speaking my name loosened the bolts that held my muscles and joints together, and air rushes into my lungs much like a waterfall rushes down a cliff.

But there it was. For some reason, I didn't notice until now. Another reason why he reminded me so much of Vitya.

Vitya was the only person that called me Yuu. Not even Phichit knew of that shameful nickname from twenty years ago. Not even my family knew. Because Vitya was the one who gave it to me.

I swallow a large lump in my throat. What was I even afraid of in the first place? This Viktor wasn't going to return just to see me. He must have mistaken me for someone else in the world, there are a lot of Yuuris out there. I might as well enjoy the moment while it lasts. It will give me a chance to properly say goodbye to Vitya, and give myself some sort of closure.

I let out a shaky breath, and I feel even my lips quiver as I open my mouth.

"...Vit...Vitya?"

A few beats of heavy silence follows, and I feel my hands clammer up and begin to sweat. Maybe I shouldn't have called him Vitya. Maybe I've just been trying to convince myself this whole time that Viktor and Vitya were the same person. Maybe I heard him wrong, and he hadn't called me by my nickname.

The tiny voice in my head continues to ramble on and on a million words a second with reasons and excuses as to why he was here, and why I wasn't what he was looking for. However, I still haven't broken eye contact with him, and the voice in my head dissipates into thin air once the corners of his lips begin to stretch upwards. I swear I've forgotten to breathe, as his face molds a beautiful grin with a small dimple on his right cheek. He's undeniably, breathtakingly gorgeous when he smiles. I almost feel like whining when his smile melts off his face, and his direction falls to the floor down by my feet. Leaning over, I check to see what was at my feet that had caught his attention, and I feel completely confused when he squats down so he's head level with my abdomen. I, however, have to swallow the prominent urge to face-palm when he raises back up to his normal height, holding up the paper white bag containing the muffins I had gotten for him.

"Oh, that's…"

My voice dies in my throat when our eyes meet again. I mentally sigh in satisfaction when his smile forms back onto his face-

Wait, what am I thinking? I'm a dude!

"Oh, um- ah, here, this is, uh this- your's. Yo-your order." I remember the caramel drink in my hand, and hold it out in front of me, taking a step back to put at least a foot of space between our chests. His bright blue eyes widen a the cup in my hand in confusion for a few moments, then realization crosses his face, as if he had just remembered that he ordered his coffee the moment he walked in.

"Oh...Thank you, Yuuri." His ear-to-ear grin forms again, and he gingerly takes the coffee cup from my hand, as if he were afraid to shatter me like glass. Viktor slightly chuckles to himself, and looks down as he sets the coffee and paper bag down on the table top, and returns his gaze in my direction. "I-I'm sorry, I can't seem to stop saying your name. It's just… you're here, Yuu. You're here, and you're real and you're right in front of me." He reaches his fingers out, and takes my forearms into his hands, and barely takes a small step into my personal bubble. "I can touch you, Yuuri. I found you, oh my stars, I can't believe you're right here."

All of a sudden, something I certainly could never in a thousand years mentally prepare myself for, Vitya draws my forearms in towards his own body, and removes his hands just to wrap them tightly around my torso.

"Yuu. Yuuri, you're here. You're so soft- that sounds weird. I'm not a pedophile, just… _Yuuri_." He murmurs in my ear, and I have to fight my body for the mere ability to continue standing.

"V-Vitya." I feel a wave of hot tears collect at the corners of my small eyes, and my hands twitch with the itch and desire to touch him. To feel him, to make sure he's really there. To reassure him, I wasn't going to do what I did. To hug him back. To tell him-

"I missed you." I sob into his shoulder, pressing my face there so he couldn't see my ugly facial expression, my red cheeks and swollen eyes slathered with salty tears. I know I will regret this later, with the guilt of ruining his expensive suit with my disgusting bodily fluids, but the thought escapes me when he hugs me tighter, flush against his chest, as if urging me to continue rather than stop.

There is a moment of pregnant silence, before I feel the softness of his cheek press into my own, and I can feel his jaw move as he responds. "Me too." His voice also becomes masked with the faint sound of sobbing, and I feel a foreign wetness run down the side of my head. It unexpectedly runs onto my lips, and when I run my tongue over it, it tastes the faintest bit salty. "I missed you so much, Yuuri."

Viktor... is crying.

 **Hello again! I know, this is long overdue. I planned to have it finished by last week Friday, but UGH THE EMOTIONS WERE KILLING ME. I really hope you enjoyed it, and reviews are always appreciated, they're the only way I know that the readers like what I'm producing, what I can do to make it better, and the sheer fact that I love communicating with readers ^~^ I'm just going to be honest, this was hard to write because of all of the drama and emotion required, and I can admit that those things are not my strong points. Please tell me what I can do to improve for you guys~!**

 **Until next time, my filthy human toilets~!**

 **~Mina**


	4. Chapter 3

**I kind of wanted to start off this chapter with thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last two chapters! I usually don't get enough time to sit down and reply to all of them, so I don't, but I can assure you that I read every single one of them. And aaaahhhh I just feel like Cured is so loved ^~^**

 **I just wanted to especially thank the reviewers for their kind words, it motivated me to continue writing for you guys. I had quite a few slumps while writing, because past the first chapter, I had no idea what to do. But, I read** **Jacsygirl's first review (thank you so much Jacsy, I love all of your reviews =3 it actually saddened me that I noticed that you were a guest and couldn't reply to any of them, they were amazing and I love you~!)and I just got back to work. After the second one was posted, just more and more came in- I just love all you guys! It makes me feel bad that this chapter is a tad bit shorter than the past two... ;-;**

 **There'll be some fun facts about the prototypes of the current released chapters at the end of this one to hopefully make up for the shorter length. Thank you guys so much for your support for "Cured"! It's because of the fans that I'm still writing. Until next time, my filthy human toilets~!**

 **~Mina**

* * *

 **[03] Wednesday 011.17.97. 8:57 p.m. : "For The Rest of Our Lives"**

"Yuuri, I thought I told you, don't bring that goddamn dog in the house!"

I huff, and release Vicchan's collar. The small, chocolate colored poodle pup scurries away from me, and runs back outside into his dog house. I turn back to my daddy, who stands tall in front of me with his fists on his hips like a superhero. I protest at his interruption of my master plan. "I can't sleep! I need cuddle buddy! You won't let me bring Vitya to the house, so I need Vicchan!"

Dad sighs, and tugs on the hair that hangs in front of his eyes in frustration. "The dog isn't allowed in the house until he is potty trained, I don't need to buy you _another_ mattress. And you need to stop talking about that imaginary friend of yours, I thought you were older than that to still have imaginary friends." He sighs again, and releases his hair, looking down at me with fiery, beady eyes. "Whatever, off to bed with you, now."

"But Daddy-"

"No buts about it, Yuuri. Get upstairs _now_ , before I beat your little disrespectful ass." He turns away from me slightly and faces the fireplace, lighting the cigarette that had been hanging from his lips. I just barely hear him mutter to himself. "Jesus Christ, you're just as stubborn as your fucking mother."

I puff out my cheeks, and curl my fingers into fists at my sides. Suddenly it wasn't about Vicchan anymore. I didn't care if he got that lady to tell me to go to bed, it didn't make a difference. She couldn't tell me what to do, she wasn't Mommy. I don't need her. I don't need her or Daddy. I need Mommy-no, I need Vitya.

"I hate you, Daddy!" I cry out, and throw the sliding door back open, and run out into the yard.

"Yuuri! Get your ass back here, you little shit!"

I don't stop running. Daddy could take as many toys as he wanted from me like last time, he clearly didn't like me anymore. All Daddy does ever since Mommy went away is drink a lot and yell at me. That lady he brought home a year ago, he told me that she was my new mommy.

I try to wipe away tears that run down my face and into my mouth, and I wipe the snot running from my nose with the bottom of my t-shirt. I throw open the back gate from the backyard and run through it. I don't want to be home anymore. I _need_ Vitya.

"Vitya!" I sob into the dark neighborhood, running across the empty alleyway towards the small park on the other side of the garages. "Vitya, where are you?!"

I trip over the black plastic border of the playground, and fall face first into the wood chips lining the swing set. Tears run down my face, into my mouth, and fall to the ground as I sit up and run both hands furiously through my hair in both anger, and to rid of the wood chips stuck on the strands. I continue to cry my best friend's name out loud, progressively getting louder as I process the pain in my knees and nose from tripping. Suddenly, it's silent, as a hand cups over my mouth, muting my cries. I hear a soft 'shh'.

"Be quiet, people are trying to sleep."

I peel open one of my teary eyes, my eyesight distorted by tears to a pair of pale colored hands that have moved to hold my soaked and stained cheeks, and long locks of his silver hair dangle in front of my face.

"Vitya!" Whatever made me cry is soon forgotten, and I wrap my arms around the boy hovering over me, sending us both to the ground. Vitya lets out a slight 'oof' once we hit the ground, but he smiles up at me, and pushes a small portion of my fringe out of my eyes, and resumes to holding my fat cheeks in his hands.

"Good evening, Yuu." Vitya laughs, his blue eyes squinting up at me against the harsh street lights above us. "What's got you outside this late at night again? Was it your Papa?"

I nod, and Vitya tsks, shaking his head. I watch his long, dark locks sprawled almost like a spider web amongst the woodchips below him.

"I did offer for you to move to my house, you could have brought Vicchan. We could live like a happy little family!" Vitya, nudges me to roll over onto my back next to him. He directs a gloved finger towards the sky, where I find a collection of three stars. "Like those stars up there in the sky. Look, Yuu; don't they look happy?"

I turn my head over to look over at Vitya at the same time that his eyes find mine, and I find a smile crawl onto my face. I turn my face back up to the stars, and beam at them at brightly as they shine.

"Mhm!" I lift up my hands towards the little group of three stars, and attempt to clasp them into my own gloved hands. "Me, you, and Vicchan, just the three of us, will live in a _biiig_ house, and there'll be a pool, and a lot of swings, and twenty billion rooms for all of our friends to come stay!"

"Alright, maybe." Vitya delicately lays one of his hands over my cupped ones, then holds my hands in both of his. "But we'll start with one step at a time, Yuu."

"Mmm... Okay." I cheer happily, sitting up and tugging my black mitten off, practically shoving a single pinky into Vitya's face. He raises his eyebrows in confusion at the sudden gesture, and his aqua colored eyes raise to mine, questioning what I was doing. "Pinky promise me, Vitya! You'll live with me forever and ever and ever, away from all the meany butts and away from Daddy and Daddy's lady friend! Just you, me, and baby Vicchan!"

Vitya's smile glows, and instead of wrapping his own pinky finger around my comparatively smaller one, he grabs both of my hands, and press them chaste against his lips, his eyes fluttering closed. Not kissing them, but it feels as if he's whispering something against the back of my hands. The warm sensation tickles and I fight the urge to laugh. After a few seconds, his eyelids open, and he smiles up at me, and wraps his small finger around mine.

"I promise."

I waste no time in tracing a quick 'X' over my chest with my index finger where I know my heart beats, then I drag my thumbnail across the top of my neck right underneath my jaw. "Cross your heart and hope to die?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Vitya copies the motions all the while he smiles fondly at me. Once finished, he reaches his arms out in my direction, and clamps and unclamps all ten of his fingers in a 'come here' motion. I squeal a little, and almost launch myself into his arms, and he wraps them around me in a hug. He buries his head in my hair, and lays my hands over his, palm-to-palm, and barely murmurs "Once we are old enough, we'll get our own place and live together. На всю оставшуюся жизнь."

* * *

Everyone- they're all staring. The mean old lady with the specific order from just before stares over into the small corner the two of us occupy, her beady eyes not as mean as she rests her eyes on the beauty before me. I almost want to glower in envy, how different good looking people are treated from the general crowd. However, I suppose I couldn't blame them much. It isn't everyday a _very_ popular celebrity just shows up in a small cafe such as this one; especially an unpopular, circus-themed one like Phichit's.

"Wow!" I get jolted from my thoughts at a surprised exclamation, and my attention turns straight back to the person at fault for all the attention from the rest of the customers. "This is really good!"

Viktor sits across the booth table from me, and holds the small coffee cup up to his lips, and he toys with the small black stirring stick between his forefinger and thumb. His head raises, and he shoves a small silver hair in front of his face to lay back with the rest of his hair, his eyes meeting mine. "Did you make this?"

My feel my heart lurch inside my chest at the sudden question, and I direct my gaze down to the table top in nervousness and disappointment. Maybe he would have been more impressed if I had made the drink, instead of letting Phichit in my fit of anxiety back in the kitchen. I sigh, and mentally kick myself as I reply. "No, I-"

"Yes, he did! Yuuri made it with all the love in the world _just for you_!"

I whip my head towards the blue curtain, which is currently being held open, with Phichit's little round face squished into the little opening, peering in on the both of us.

"Hello, Mr. Nikiforov!" He squeezes his fingers underneath his chin, and wiggles them in our direction in a general wave hello.

Viktor seems to be confused, and he hesitantly raises his hand to wave back at the strange man. "H-Hello, sir."

"P-Phichit! Have you been listening the whole time?!"

Instead of answering my question, the Thai man sticks out his tongue and waves his head a little from side to side in a teasing manner, then retracts from the little window, the navy blue curtain flapping back down into place. Then, a few seconds pass, and I hear Phichit gaudily call out to me from inside the kitchen. "Remember, we're closing in an hour, Yuuri!"

I don't hesitate to actually facepalm this time, my back of my hand laying face down on the table and my forehead pressed down onto it. I swear, that guy takes every chance he gets to nose into my business, no matter how awkward it makes the situation. And boy, has he made this already awkward conversation even more uncomfortable than it already was.

"No need to be shy, Yuu." Viktor draws my attention back onto him, and I lift my head to object. But, the words I wanted to say can't seem to find their way to my lips as he finishes the small coffee in a single swig with his head tilted back a bit. I unconsciously gulp down saliva when my eyes catch his prominent Adam's apple, that bobs as he swallows. Viktor quickly resumes to his normal sitting position, and his electric blue eyes captured mine as he sets the paper cup down. "It was delicious, thank you."

I suppose one _tiny_ fib couldn't hurt him, I'll have to remember to thank Phichit for this one later. I squirm back and forth in my seat, my hands squeezed and held in place between my knees, not just for the fact that I was straight up lying to him, but nonetheless, I get flustered when people genuinely compliment me. "Y-You're welcome. It was...nothing."

Viktor offers a kind, warm smile back, and entwines his hangers together, placing his hands on the table in front of him and leaning in towards me. "Yuu… I've waited for so long to finally meet you. And, now that I've found you… Oh my, I…" He lets out a breathy chuckle, and runs a hand slowly through his hair, causing the style to fall apart and many strands of his now short fringe glide in front of his eyes. He quickly pushes them back, and meets my eye again. "I don't even know what to say anymore. I actually had a speech prepared for so long for when I found you… I- wow, I just can't… I still can't believe that I finally found you. Слава Богу!"

I feel heat rush to my face at his words, and I find myself copying his entwined hands in my lap, and I look down at them in a cowardly nervousness. "M-me too. I thought you were gone forever… To think you'd come right back, looking for me. I don't think a speech was necessary, I honestly don't deserve this for what I did."

Viktor leans back in his seat a little, and his eyebrows furrow in confusion. "You? No, my sweet Katsudon, you've done nothing wrong! It was what I did to you that was unforgivable. I've been searching for you for years in order to apologize, and honestly I was starting to give up hope when-"

"Wait, wait wait wait wait." I feel the nervousness fly from me, and suddenly we both adorn matching bewildered facial expression. "I just saw you yesterday. I went to get treatment for schizophrenia yesterday morning, and then you disappeared! I thought I killed you, Vitya!"

"But, Yuu…" Viktor's gaze suddenly turns timid, and his eyes dart down to his hands. He finally raises his gaze after he lets out a loud sigh, and his eye turn to me in a mix of emotions: confusion, depression, and guilt. " _You_ disappeared after _I_ got treatment for schizophrenia."

* * *

 **Woah... I didn't expect for you to make it this far. I was so sure most of you gave up on me by now XD. Gomene**

 ***shudders at the weebiness and wants to shoot self in the face***

 **Here are the fun facts about "Cured" that I promised!**

 **1\. "Cured" was originally an original story, all of the characters having original names (and the role Phichit plays used to be female too). Yuuri = Adrian, Victor = Nicholas, Phichit = Grace. In the midst of writing I was like "Adrian reminds me of Yuuri..." then BAM, the "Cured you see today was born.**

 **2\. The owner of the cafe was originally supposed to be Yuuko. But, I thought of the idea of the cafe being circus themed like his dream of a circus on ice in the show, and Phichit being the star. Plus, I love Phichit, he is a smol cinnamon bean.**

 **3\. Cured was supposed to be a one-shot. But, for those of you who know my works, it often happens that one-shots end up a lot longer than I intend.**

 **4\. I originally wrote that Yuuri had a normal, loving family. But, then I needed a reason for Yuuri to run away from home in order for him to meet Vitya in the first place. So, I decided in this AU Yuuri's parents split, and the "normal loving family" is Yuuri's mom, step-dad and step-sister after his dad loses custody. I made his birth-dad an asshole to him.**

 **5\. Although it's not canon to this story, I always imagined Yuuri's real dad in my head to be the Karasuno principal from Haikyuu! and the "lady" he talks about being an older version of Anya (Georgi's ex-girlfirend). His step-dad would have been the canon Yuuri's real dad, and his mother stays the same.**

 **6\. I have drawn young Vitya and Yuu drawing in the snow together. If you want to see it, check my instagram, twitter or wattpad for it sometime this week:**

Instagram: minimi_mini-bishi  
Twitter: Kurosawa_chann  
Wattpad: HBIC-Queen_Minami

 **Until next time, my filthy human toilets~!**

 **Mina**


	5. Chapter 4

**Alright, before we get started with this chapter, I wanted to quick let you know that I posted the drawing of Vitya and Yuu on my Twitter, Kurosawa_chann.** **Also, I wanted to apologize for posting this so late! I could name so many reasons why which are completely irrelevant and no one wants to hear, so I am so relieved that I finally finished!**

 **Enjoy the chapter, I hope I don't disappoint for how long you've been waiting! (Even though this is mostly a filler chapter)**

 **[04] Friday 05.28.17. 12:14 p.m. : "It's Not A Dream"**

Just when I thought this conversation couldn't get awkwarder.

Viktor and I have been holding the longest staring contest for the past two minutes straight, studying each other's faces to the tiniest detail of a couple freckles that lay right under the curve of his chin. As I took the time to study him closer, there was no doubt that he couldn't _not_ be Vitya. He even held the grape soda bottle cap button tucked underneath the lapel of his suit jacket, one that I gave to him as kids and I've known Vitya kept ever since.

"I-It can't be." I murmur, unconsciously reaching for the bottle cap, unfastening it without asking permission. He doesn't seem to complain though, and I can feel the burn of his eyes on me as I lean back into my seat, bringing the small metal piece closer to my face for inspection.

"You recognize it." The edges of his lips quirk upwards, then his face turns serious once more, and I see his little finger twitch. "That means you are my Yuu. But-"

"How?" I finish his sentence, then hold the button out for him to take. He reaches out a hand face up, and I drop it into his palm. "Y-You say you've been looking for me… for two years?" All he does is barely nod in response, and I can't tell if he's breathing or not. "Those two years… I was happily living in my apartment with you, Vitya, I-how… I'm so- I'm just...so confused."

I watch with careful eyes as he turns the bottle cap button over and over in his right hand, and his little finger on his other hand twitches again. That's when I catch sight of the white paper bag left discarded in a corner on the table, which i pull towards my chest. Viktor's eyes move onto the bag, as he probably forgot that it was there. "Oh, these are for you, by the way." I unravel it for him, and pull out the two powdered-sugared blueberry muffins, placing them onto a napkin and sliding it over to him. "I knew they were Vitya's favorite for the longest ever since we met. It was kind of my way to make sure I was right… You know, about you being Vitya…"

He nods in understanding, and I feel the tiniest bit of joy when he smiles down on the pastries. "I haven't had one of these in forever. You'd always bring me back some from work…" He pauses, chuckling before continuing. "I guess I didn't have the heart to eat something from someone I loved when I made them disappear."

He brings a finger out from his crossed arms, and pokes at one of the muffins, stroking it a bit as crumbs fall. After a few seconds, he picks it up, and licks the powdered sugar off the top. I find myself giggling at the familiar gesture, it's a habit he's had apparently since even before I knew him. I tried it once, but didn't care for the overload of sweetness.

"What?" His gaze flicker over to me, dragging his tongue quickly across his pouty lip to rid of the sugary substance there. Instead of reassuring that I wasn't really laughing at him, I find another bubbly giggle force its way out when I notice the dash of powdered sugar stretch from the corner of his lips to his cheek, most likely from trying to wipe his face.

"Nothing, Vitya. Nothing." I manage to let the words out as the laughs subside, and as much as I want to reach over and wipe it away like I usually would, I suffice with pointing at my own cheek. Viktor raises an eyebrow, yet reaches towards his on cheek, and rubs at it, doing nothing but spreading it across this cheek. I let out another hoot of a laugh, and nudge the silver box of napkins sitting near the window in his direction, which he nods to me in thanks as he takes a tan napkin from it.

"So, um…" He continues with a touch of uncertainty, bringing the napkin to his cheek and blindly wiping at it. "What do we do now? I'm happy-no, ecstatic, unbelievably overjoyed to have found you and all, but…"

"I know." I nod, understanding what he meant, for I felt exactly the same way. I play with my fingers in my lap out of nervous habit, weaving them in and out of each other. "Under the circumstances, this is all weird. We both… made each other disappear… meaning I was your imaginary friend?"

Viktor nods. "And that means the same for I to you, from what you've said. As much as I'd love to know more, there isn't exactly someone we can ask about this kind of stuff. I've never heard of this kind of occurrence before."

"There's still the chance that this could all be a dream." I mumble slightly, most talking to myself, but loud enough for Viktor to hear. "A manifestation of my desire to have you back. If so, I must be a lot more creative than I thought, to be able to think this kind of thing up." To prove myself right or wrong, I reach down and pinch the sensitive skin on the inside of my arm as hard as I can. "Nope, I'm wide awake. That hurt like hell." I hiss at myself as I wince, and attempt to rub the stinging pain away with a few fingers.

I look back up to Victor, who I find pinching the inside of his wrist, his fingers turning a sickly pale yellow color with how hard he's pinching himself. Almost oddly unsatisfied with the result, Viktor' head slowly lifts, and our wide eyes lock. I feel the words slip on my tongue, but he beats me to it.

"We're… not dreaming." He lets it out as a breathy, surprised whisper, and I see his little finger twitch again out the of corner of my eye. "But- this still doesn't make any sense." I nod a little in agreeance, my eyes falling to the remainder of the muffin in his hand, the small piece pushed into his mouth with a single finger.

I almost want to laugh at the response I come up with. "Well, it never did make any sense. Maybe we could research it a little tonight, and see if there is any sort of information we can find online." I reach into my back pocket for my phone, and continue speaking as I unlock it. "C-Could we exchange numbers? You know, for if we find anything."

Viktor' head tilts a little in confusion as I hold my phone out to him, until he eventually takes it. "I don't mind giving you my number, but we won't need it tonight." My eyebrow raises, but he doesn't take notice as he enters his contact. It isn't until he hands my phone back, that he reacts to my confused and baffled expression. Then, his eyebrows raise again. "You're not telling me you forgot our promise, are you?"

"Promise? What pr-" I cut myself as realization dawns on me, the fond memory rushing in like a rapid river. I feel my face heat up, and my phone falls from my hands into my lap. "O-Oh. That promise. B-but wait! I… I can't just move into your place so suddenly! And you're famous! The tabloids, your fans-"

"Which is why we'll start with sleepovers, and I sue if paparazzi is near my house. I try to keep private matters and business matters separate." Viktor explains slowly for me, reaching out and holding both of my hands in his as to assure my current nervous state. "Of course, I am staying in a hotel for the time being for business, since my flat is back in Russia. Although, now knowing that you're here, I don't think I mind buying a flat here for us to live in. The tabloids wouldn't know, either."

"Y-You're crazy!" I sputter, half joking, which, in response, Vitya's heart shaped smile only glows brighter. He squeezes my hands, then jerks them in towards his torso, making me jolt violently out of my seat, leaning over the table so our noses are inches apart.

"Crazy for you, _moya lyubov_ , Yuu." Viktor whispers in my ear, releasing one of my hands and barely strokes the curve of my jaw with two or three fingers.

"S-Stop doing t-that! There're-" I take a moment to let my eye dart to the side, and sure enough, I barely lock eyes with a pair of dark gray ones, before the navy blue curtain flaps back shut with a faint giggle from the other side. I gently take his hand from mine with my free hand, and sit myself back into my seat in the booth. I let out a deep sigh to calm myself (and if I'm lucky, get my face to return to its normal color), then raise my eyes to meet Viktor'. "L-Let's get out of here. The shop is closing soon, and there are too many people here for us to discuss further." I mutter to him, reaching for the empty coffee cup to throw out. "Get your other muffin, Vitya, I'm not having you waste my money by not having you eat it."

"Don't leave your gayness here! You desperately need it, Yuuri! Have fun with Mr. Nikiforov!"

To that, I send a steely glare towards the curtain, which immediately flaps closed. Viktor simply lets out a hearty laugh, and replies back with: "It's all here, Phichit, there's no leaving it behind! And we'll make sure to do just that, won't we Yuu?"

* * *

After about 5 minutes straight of light arguing outside of the cafe, I had finally given in and hopped into Vitya's passenger seat, instead of going home and grabbing necessities. I shift uncomfortably in the comfortable and painfully obvious expensive car seat, still dressed in my blinding neon pink and purple work uniform. I felt out of place in this circus themed polo among the leather clad seats and soft purr of the engine, the environment just screaming 'Rich! Money!'

The car is currently parked in a crowded parking lot of some sort of business, Viktor long gone inside the building for about ten minutes now. _'I was headed for a meeting here anyways, to speak with one of my sponsors, before I saw you in the window of the coffee shop.'_ He had told me as he grabbed his things out of the car, preparing for aforesaid meeting. _'I hope you don't mind, I don't have to be there for long except to sign some stuff. I should be back in about fifteen minutes.'_

As of now, I myself am unsure of whether this alone time will do me harm or good. On the bright side, it gives me time to prepare myself for whatever may happen once we arrive at Viktor' hotel room. However, it makes me think about what exactly Vitya might have planned, _why_ he insisted that I sleep over. _How long does he want me to stay- is this more than just a one night sleepover? Does he want to live together like we have been, like we promised we would? Does he expect me to go back to Russia with him once his business here is done? Though I have no personal ties to Detroit besides Phichit, the idea is just…_

I find myself ripping my colorful work cap off, scratching at my head for an appropriate word to finish the statement with. 'Baffling' could apply, but I can't help the feeling that there is a word that fits a little more perfectly for the situation.

"Astonishing?" I let the next word that comes to mind out, testing its meaning on my tongue. "Startling? No, that can't be… Unforeseen? Remarkable?" I find myself shaking my head to myself. None of these words were right. It seems that my thesaurus studies from uni aren't serving me as much good as I thought.

"Perhaps… intimidating?"

I jolt at the intruding voice, my eyes darting over to the ajar driver's door, just as Viktor swoops behind the wheel, throwing his bag into the back seat. His blue eyes find mine as he pulls his door shut, and he continues to speak while starting the engine up.

"I already know you're worrying your beautiful mind with unnecessary things, per usual." Viktor pulls the black strap of his seat-belt over his chest, and once that is buckled in, her reaches for my hand with his right one. "I'm always here if you need to ask me something, and I will answer with nothing but the truth- you know that. I hope the same applies the other way around, hm?"

I feel my hand oddly freeze beneath his, but I silently nod anyways. After a quick moment, my eyes dart down to my lap, suddenly sheepish and nervous. Although his declaration was somewhat soothing, I could help but worry over his thoughts of me. He did offer with the perfect one for my predicament, but did he even know what I was fretting over? Thankfully, Viktor doesn't press on for a more solid response, and shifts the gear into drive.

"That aside, let's go on home. Yesterday I managed to perfect this really weird potato soup recipe I managed to see on Pinterest yesterday. I don't know what the creator was thinking, putting a cup and a half of water.."

All of his babbling manages to go in one ear and out the other. Maybe I'm overthinking everything he says far too much, but he just said 'let's go home'. Surely, he probably meant something along the lines of 'let's go to _my_ home'. Although, the more I try to convince myself of that, the annoyingly tiny voice in the back of my head questions louder and clearer; _'What if he meant more than that?'_

I lightly shake my head at the thought, and urge the tiny nuisance to 'kindly shut the hell up'. Instead of indulging myself to dwell further on the topic, I turn to gaze out the window, admiring the colorful, neon city lights of the lively after-dark city of Detroit.

I remember when I first moved to Detroit from the small town of Hasetsu in Japan, it was a huge scenery change, to the point where I avoided going outside past sunset, when the glowing signs beamed the brightest. They were bright and made me feel claustrophobic, and with the addition of my horrible depression-inducing anxiety, Phichit had to carry a half unconscious Yuuri back to his apartment constantly during his first week staying here.

After about a month of so, I somewhat adjusted, and the bright signs don't seem to glow as bright as I thought they did. Oddly enough, when I'm out and about whether on errands, hanging out with Phichit or Vitya, or just wandering around by myself, I found the lights surrounding me to be comforting. Something like, reassurance that someone was watching after me, making sure I got back home safely.

Realizing that Viktor was still talking to me, thankfully he hadn't turned away from the road yet to notice I hadn't been paying attention, I tune into his current topic.

"-io wanted to help one time, so I let him come over when I was still back in Russia, and he was the one that helped me come up with the idea to put green onions in to make it more colorful and appealing, since it wouldn't give more flavor than the white onions were. And it was yesterday that I saw bacon bits at the store, and thought to buy them for Makkachin, I actually thought it was dog food, the packaging was very misleading. I accidentally put them into the soup absent-mindedly from fatigue, because I forgot what I bought them for. I gave it a taste, and I just thought _'it's perfection!'_ " His eyes briefly turn toward me, the corners of his lips quirking up into a peaceful, affectionate smile as he returns his attention to the road. "And that's why I want you to be the first person to have a taste. It was perfect timing, really, for us to meet today of all days. I'm seriously happy that you get to taste my cooking like this- it's my first time, and things like this are meant to be shared with loved ones."

I feel my face heat up, and any comprehensible response I could come up with in my head becomes cloudy. Of all things, tasting his homemade cooking was not one of the things I could have guessed his intentions were.

"Th-Thank you, I-I'm honored." I manage to express just above a murmur, clasping my heads together in my lap and looking down where I assume they are, unable to actually see them in the dark. A hearty laugh happily dances its way into my ears, and a comforting hand rests itself just above my knee, and gives my thigh a reassuring squeeze.

"No need to be so formal, Yuu. I'd like to share special things with you like this all day every day if I could. More extravagant things than this, even, or less extravagant things. Haaa," he lets out a sudden sigh. "I'm babbling again aren't I? Want to talk about something else?

I shake my head, then realize he didn't notice because of his eyes being on the road. "No, I didn't mind. Really, thank you for this. Although it's not a traditional home-cooked meal, it being in a tiny hotel kitchen and all, it's still heart warming. Though, since you offered, I do have a question."

"Shoot. I said before, I'll answer with nothing but the honest truth."

"Do you remember Vi…" As I am voicing my question of whether or not he remembered my beloved childhood pup Vicchan back when I was living with my dad, I glance once more out my window, and realization dawns on me. "Wait, why're we headed east?"

"What do you mean?" I don't turn away from the view as Viktor responds, I also notice we're headed up a hill as well. "The hotel I'm staying in is up this way. Is there something wrong with the east side of Detroit?"

"No, I just… There's…" Words fail me as it hits me. How fitting, for someone such as Viktor. Getting a hotel up there was probably easy with his fame and fortune. "Are you perhaps staying at _L'incontournable Doré_?"

"Yeah- how'd you know?"

Go figure.

I let a hefty sigh escape from my nose at his cluelessness. The east side, where Viktor is headed right now, is for the incredibly rich. I could only dream of taking even a step past the road that separates the east from the rest of Detroit. L'incontournable Doré especially, it's owned by the most successful company in the country, some French transfer that went from rags to riches in a matter of a couple months. His story is inspiring, but you'd expect someone like that to sympathize with the general public, yet in reality it's completely the opposite.

 _L'incontournable Doré_ roughly translates to "The Inescapable Golden". Besides it being the most expensive establishments in the whole city, the name of the hotel was quite fitting for someone like Viktor.

"... I can't help but feel like you're irritated about something, Yuu."

"I'm not." I lie.


	6. Chapter 5

**[05] Friday 05.28.17 10:04 p.m. : "Pretty"**

The rest of the car ride consisted of mostly comfortable silence, which probably wasn't a good idea, as it left me over a half an hour to muse with my inner self over my current situation.

' _He's making you_ _**homemade food**_ _and letting you_ _**stay the night**_ _. How more obvious can it get?'_ The annoying voice in my head continues with our banter, the voice soundly oddly similar to Grace's.

' _He's just being generous, plus he must feel lonely coming halfway across the world for simple business purposes. He needs someone to keep him company until he goes back to his friends and family in Russia.'_ I try to reason, but the internal voice scoffs loudly, something Grace would do when she thinks I'm being difficult. Then I furrow my eyebrows, and turn to Nicholas slightly to ask the question that came to mind. "How long are you staying in Detroit, anyways?"

"It's pretty much in the air," He doesn't waste any time to answer honestly, though he keeps his attention on the road ahead in order not to crash us. "though I have to be back by at least next week so I can have enough time to train and prepare for the Euro Cup semi-finals the week after."

"So…" I find myself murmuring, forcing the mournful tone out of my voice. My throat suddenly feels like sandpaper, and my mouth dries as I let the words fly from my lips without thinking. "You'll be leaving around next Wednesday?" There's a moment of silence that passes quickly, which just as fast makes me regretful to ask.

"Actually, I _was_ to leave tomorrow morning, I was bored of all the business and paperwork and wanted to get out ASAP… but," His eyes dart over in my direction in the dark, and it lingers there for a moment, then quickly returns to the road in front of us, as if he had just remembered that he was driving. "Something seems to have come up that takes priority, and it _may_ just make me book a rather late flight back."

I'm too late to wipe the small smirk off of my face that appears when he glances back at me with a shit-eating grin spread from ear to ear. I turn away towards the window, not wanting my most-likely embarassing face to be seen, which only seems to fuel his enjoyment further, as his beautiful laugh dances from his lips.

* * *

"Vitya! Vitya, look, look!"

Bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet, I bend backwards to assure that Vitya was coming. Sure enough, I could see his long braid swish back and forth as he runs down the basement stairs of his house, with a big smile on his face. Once he reaches me, he rests a hand on my shoulder and kneels down to my height. "What is it, Yuu?"

"Look, look! There!" I continue bouncing, pointing towards the back corner of the room, where his puppy Makkachin naps quietly with a small pale blue flower crown half falling off of her head. "I put the flower crown I made on Makka! She matches Vicchan now!"

Vitya smiles warmly, and places his other arm on my other shoulder, almost hugging me. "Thank you. Look, Makka loves it." Vitya smiles fondly at his napping dog in the corner of the room, then his gaze shifts a little in mood, and he smirks when his eyes land on me who stands short beside him. "Now, where's my present, Yuu?"

I gasp, and cover my mouth in shock. How could I possibly have forgetten to get Vitya a present? I feel tears well in my eyes, and I turn about to apologize for my idiocy, when I hear laughter, and a thumb wipes a tear from my eyelash away. "I was joking. You're enough of a gift for me."

I tuck my tongue into the inside of my cheek, and give Vitya a hard glare though my tears. I can't give myself as a present! Wracking my brain for a suitable solution, I remember the small item in the back pocket of my overalls. I pull it outand present it before me. A small metal bottle cap from the last grape soda I shared with my mom before she left. This bottle cap was given to me with lots of love from Mommy, so I'll give it to Vitya with lots of love from me.

"Here, Vitya." I shove the bottle cap into his hand, and the platinum blonde boy stares dumbfoundedly at the piece of metal in his hand. "It's your present!" I explain further, and take his fingers in my hand, enclosing them around the gift in his palm. "I got this out of love from my mommy. Now, you're getting it out of love from me!"

I return my gaze to Vitya's pretty blue eyes and smile, just like Mommy did before when she gave me this bottle cap. I feel like crying when I remember her getting on the bus after that, but I shove the thought away. I have Vitya now.

My eyes widen, however, when I register the wetness that splatters on the back of the hand that holds Vitya's palm closed, and I realize there are tears running down Vitya's pale cheeks. Vitya is… pretty when he cries.

"Thank you, Yuuri." Vitya rounds me up in his long arms, and squishes me into one of his famous bear hugs. "I'll keep this forever, I promise. Thank you for giving me something so precious to you. I'm really happy."

I can't help my smile, and I pat Vitya on the back like he does to me when I cry. "You're silly, Vitya. Why would you cry when you're happy?" I pull Vitya closer, and pat his soft hair. "One day, me and you will go see my mommy! She loves you too, not as much as me though." Vitya giggles a little at this, then sniffles. "Then the three of us can share a grape soda, and then when we share another one togehter, we'll all have a bottle cap to remember each other by!"

Vitya smiles warmly down at me after pulling away from my shoulder, his pretty tears still rolling down his cheeks. He squishes my cheeks in between his hands, a bright smile coating his face. Vitya is pretty when he cries, but he's beautiful when he smiles.

* * *

 **A/N**

 ***cries* It's been forever, my filthy human toilets! I'm sorry that it's been so long, and that this chapter is so short, but first off I've been suffering because I didn't know what to do after the scene in the car, so I plucked in the backstory behind the grape soda cap. Finals are this week, and tomorrow's my last day of testing thankfully. As soon as I get out tomorrow, I'll be working my tail off on trying to write the next chapter, much longer than this for sure.**

 **Also, I apologize for my incompetent-ness in writing in the first person when Yuuri is a child! I don't know how to write like a 4-year old and not sound phony, so I just went with my normal writing style. I might attempt to go back and fix it (who am I kidding, I'm not doing that). Also, about my writing style again, I'm sorry if it seems way too cringe-worthy fluffy right now, but I intended it to be that way. Just keep that in mind.**

 **Reviews are appreciated!**

 **Until next time, my filthy human toilets~!**

 **~Mina**


	7. Chapter 6

[06] Friday 05.28.17 10:33 p.m. : "Get Comfortable"

It wasn't until I entered the front door of Viktor's hotel room did I realize that it was very much a mistake agreeing to come here. As I pull my worn out sneakers from my feet, Viktor is pulling his dress shoes off to my right, I manage to get a small peek of the living room beyond the doorway. As my eyes travel from the plush brown leather couches, to the pure white silky curtains, all the way up to the twinkling golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling, I develop the same sense of unbelonging and unworthiness that I felt first entering his sports car.

Viktor, obviously with a sense of familiarity of his temporary flat, has no problem with kicking his shoes off and entering the posh living room, only pausing when he realized I wasn't behind him. He stops at the doorway to the living room, and throws a half smile my way. I can't help but awkwardly shift from one foot to the other in the entrance, attempting to smile back.

"Well, come on in." He waves me over. "What's mine is yours, don't be shy."

I feel the hesitation strengthen its hold on my limbs, but my pride forces me forward to stand beside the silver-haired man. Viktor's half smile blossoms into his infamous ear-to-ear beautiful smile, and he gestures towards the living room, insisting I go before him.

"You can get comfy in here," He calmly assures, as if he had noticed my hesitation, taking my shoulders and pushing me into the room from behind. Once we reach the center of the light carpet, he takes his right hand off of my shoulder, and points to the kitchen at the other end of the room. "While I'll be over there prepping dinner. If you need something, just ask for me or don't hesitate to get it yourself if that's easier. Otherwise, you can relax in here; you just got off of work and deserve a little rest."

I simply give a small nod. My eyes travel down to the dark colored couches Viktor gestures to, and I find my body resisting. There is no way in hell I'm sitting on these nice, expensive couches looking like a literal circus clown. Viktor, whom I'm 100% sure is probably irritated by my reluctance ness by now, grips both of my shoulders once again and pushes me down onto the couch. Once he settles me into the cushions, I curse at myself both for not wanting to sit and how heavenly it felt on my aching back.

"I'll go get you something to change into, I'm sure you don't want to stay in your work uniform all day." He says as he grabs a baby blue blanket that hangs over the other side of the couch and drags it over my legs, tucking it under my thighs. He throws me a quick smile, tucks a strand of hair behind my ear quickly, then almost tiptoes away around the corner, where I assume his bedroom is. I finally let out the breath I didn't know I was holding, holding a hand to my chest to assist in my breathing.

All he's doing is speaking to me, helping me out, and being a good friend… yet the past hours I have spent with Vitya have been blissfully breathless. At this point, the second time I am left to myself, I'm not exactly sure if it's necessarily a good or a bad thing. This much happiness must be bad for my health. I look down to my hands, the one pressed to my chest and the other already wound in the soft blue fleece blanket. This can't be real; after what happened yesterday, for Vitya to just show up again and make my life more… lifelike than it's ever been. What did I ever deserve for the angel of Viktor to grace me? I watch as my knuckles turn a sickly pale yellow as I grip the blanket tighter in my hand. There has to be something I can do in return. As a man, my pride won't allow being chauffeured everywhere like a princess like this forever.

I catch the noises of the bustling around of Viktor in the room over, and for some reason my heart starts to race in panic. What could I possibly do for him? I'm working a full-time job at a coffee shop, and I'm just barely getting by living on my own as it is. On top of that, there are so many things I want to ask Vitya; about what his life has been like, what happened those two years ago when I supposedly disappeared, and what he wishes for us in the years to come. Under the circumstances, I'd probably follow him anywhere.

My gaze rises up to the chandelier dangling above my head, and I bathe in the bright, sparkling light reflecting from the jewels. A millionaire like Viktor Nikiforov… what could a college dropout like me do for his benefit? The idea imprinted in my brain from really bad stories I've read that I could offer him my body, but I shake my head at the thought. Even if he were into men, I don't think I could satisfy him with something like that.

I mean… not that I wouldn't want to. That's something that shocked me when I first met Viktor in the coffeeshop after Vitya disappeared. I felt… attracted to him. When I knew him as Vitya, he was just my best friend that hadn't changed since we were small, and I recognized that he was attractive, but back then it wasn't anymore than that. Suddenly… the "real" version has so much sex appeal that I didn't realize before. He must have tons of fans wanting to fuck his brains out. Or for him to fuck their brains out, whichever suits their fantasy.

"Is this alright?"

I'm startled out of my thought process, my head snapping up to meet Viktor's eye, who is slightly leaning over the back of the couch. My gaze travels to the object he holds in his hand, a pair of grey sweatpants and a black, long sleeved t-shirt. At a loss for words, mostly embarrassed by the thoughts I just had of him, I nod and all but snatch the clothing from his grasp. Did I seriously just think about people wanting to fu- have sex him? What's wrong with me today?

"Are you okay?" A weight shifts to the back of the couch, and Viktor forces me to look up at him with his shining cerulean eyes. "You haven't said a single word since we got here…" His gaze falls, and a frown shifts itself onto his lips. "You're making me worry that I'm doing something wrong."

"N-No!" I'm fairly quick to jump up off of the couch, the baby blue blanket falling to my feet. "You've been an angel this entire time, truly! I'm just being awkward for no reason, I'm sorry." I fiddle with the hem of my work shirt, and keep my eyes down at my hands. "I guess I'm just surprised at the sudden series of events, is all."

He only stares back at me for an extended period of time, and I can only shift my weight from one foot to the other to expel my nervous energy. Viktor finally blinks, then nods slowly, almost to himself more than to me.

"Ok." He starts murmuring to himself, then his gaze returns to me, the blue of his eyes somehow becoming softer. His warm, inviting smile fights its way back onto his face, and I stupidly find my lips quirking up into a smile in response. "Alright, good." He continues murmuring and nodding, then his gaze falls to the clothing in my hands.

"Here, I'll show you the bathroom so you can change." He straightens his posture, and gestures for me to go around the corner, with the warm, welcoming smile I knew him for. A smile creeps its way onto my face without permission, and I kick the blanket from my feet in order to follow him.

"I hope you don't mind." Viktor softly calls back to me, then pausing at the first white door on the left. "I had a… little bit of an experiment in the tub this morning, so that's probably not very clean right now. But everything else should be fine, so take your time changing."

As he sweeps the door to the bathroom wide open, I can't help but gape. The way he had put it made it seem fine, maybe a bit of dye at the bottom of the tub or something. But I should have known better, this is Vitya we're talking about.

The tub and a good portion of the floor around it is covered in some gooey, pink substance with silver glitter in it. It reminds me of the consistency of pancake batter. My gaze travels across the bathroom in shock, the stuff is splattered across the walls and the back of the door. I turn back to Viktor, who sheepishly smiles.

"I know it… probably looks worse than I said. But! I made sure to clean the toilet and sink before leaving this morning. The floor around…" He trails off, taking a small step into the bathroom in front of the toilet, just barely in a clear spot from the pink, glittery mess. "Here should be good. I'll clean the rest up later, I promise. I wish I had a heads up that I'd be bringing you here, I'd have cleaned this up more.

"It's… fine." I squeak, stepping inside next to him. It wasn't fine.

"I'll leave you to it then." He flashes me with a quick smile, scooting past me in the only clear path from the gunk, and closing the door behind him. I gawk at the pink stuff once more. He didn't even try to explain what it was.

Distancing myself as much as I can from the goo, I pull off my uniform and change quickly, wanting out of that environment ASAP. I find that the sweatpants are just a little bit too long, so I roll them up at the ankles twice. I quick grab my work clothes and make way to scurry out of the bathroom, but my eye catches something on the corner of the counter. There are two toothbrushes there, both in little cute cups with adorable name tags. One is baby blue, with "Viktor" written in cursive on a sticker, and the other is yellow, with "Makka" and a heart on the outside.

"M-Makka?" I say out loud, and I glance in the mirror to see my eyes widening to the size of saucers. I hadn't seen Makka since I was very small, whenever I would visit Viktor's house she'd be napping in the basement, whilst Vicchan barked happily trying to wake her up. I remember the pure joy I felt the day I finished those matching blue flower crowns, and I put it on the poodles for the first time-- to me Vicchan and Makka were siblings. I loved them like they were both mine. They were Viktor's and mine.

As if on cue, I hear a loud yip from outside the bathroom door. I hurriedly spin to my right and throw the door open, but the brown poodle is nowhere to be found. I haphazardly drop my uniform in a pile outside the bathroom, and follow the sounds of her nails hitting the hardwood floors. I find the source of the noise, from the light gray door at the end of the hallway. I pause in front of it, hand hovering over the knob, and the clicking of nails on the floor ceases for a moment. I take a deep breath, turn the handle with a click and push it open, then almost scream much like a dog whistle when I'm knocked backwards by something fluffy, down painfully onto the floor. My cheek suddenly becomes coated in a disgustingly warm liquid, and I laugh, trying to push her away from my face.

"Good to see you too, Makkachin." I manage to get out between her licks of assault as I pat her head, choosing to finally let myself fall victim to her vicious tongue, as well as careful to keep my mouth shut. I wrinkle my nose at the gross texture as it's dragged across my face, but I don't mind it all that much.

"Makkachin!" I hear Vitya's disciplinary voice from the end of the hallway, followed by the muted sounds of his socks as he makes his way over to the pile of flesh and saliva that is Makkachin and I. "Get off of him, ya wild dog."

"I'm alright, I'm alright!" I urge, wrapping my arms around her to keep her close, but regardless, Viktor pulls Makka off of me by her collar. Not that it stops her, as she leaps up and down in excitement, twirling around and barking. I push myself up onto my knees and sit on my heels, scratching behind her ears as she happily pants, her tongue rolling over of her mouth like a pink fruit roll-up. My hand makes its way petting and scratching down her back, and the good girl rests her head into my lap. "I missed Makka too, after all."

"H-Hold on. You…You..."

I turn at Viktor's voice, which sounded oddly insistent and surprised-- very unlike Vitya. Once my gaze reaches his eyes, I see how wide they are, how concerned he looks, his usually bright and colorful irises almost icy as his eyes widen to dinner plates. I furrow my eyebrows at him in blatant confusion. Even Makka seems to notice his change in mood, as she raises her head to wag her tail excitedly at her owner.

"W-What's wrong?" I ask hesitantly, however instead of answering, Viktor quickly wipes his hands frantically on the front of his black apron, spins around on his heel and rushes back in the direction of the kitchen.

It takes me a second or two to compute that he had just fled, and I look down to Makka, whose big brown eyes are looking down the hallway to her owner. As I see Viktor almost slip on the hardwood in his socks trying to turn the corner, I sigh to myself, and stand from the ground, careful to remove Makka's head from my lap. Baffled at the lack of Vitya's explanation or rationalization for his leave, I tug Makka up onto her paws, and side-by-side the two of us follow him through the hallway, and into the living room where Viktor has plopped down where I sat moments before and whips out his phone from his pocket, fumbling to type in his number passcode.

The last time I remember Vitya being this quiet, I practically told him that I was unhealthy because of him, and downright told him that I was going to get rid of him because he wasn't normal. That we weren't normal. I'm not going to let him go again, and that means listening to him this time. I need him to talk to me.

"What's going on?" I question, damn near pleading. "Talk to me, Viktor." Leaning against the back of the couch, I see him pull up a blank notepad on his phone, and begins rapidly typing. His thumbs hesitate mid-sentence, then begins to speak while he types.

"I figured we should… keep track of any clues regarding our situation." He begins explaining with a surprising amount of concentration. "A-And I just realized when I saw you playing with Makka." Viktor finishes typing, and thankfully hands me his phone so that I may read over his notes. I quickly skim them over.

-Yuu and I were both treated for schizophrenia

-Each other's imaginary friends??

-Have physical objects from one another and retained memories from long ago, but seperate memories of recent

-Makkachin and Yuu both remember each other!!! IS it really schizophrenia??

Viktor suddenly spins around on the couch, and I flail back in surprise, causing my rear end fall back onto the frigid cold, hard floor. Clutching Viktor's phone to my chest to ensure its safety, my eyes whip to the man in question who is now standing on the couch over me, looking down on me like a king to his subjects.

"If you were my imaginary friend, Makkachin wouldn't have been able to see you, let alone would you remember her. I think there's something going on here, further than simply imaginary friends, Yuuri. I don't think schizophrenia had a part in this at all."


End file.
